AC Milan head coach Stefano Pioli has named his first starting line-up of 2023 as the year begins with a game against Salernitana at the Stadio Arechi.
Ciprian Tatarusanu has once again been given the nod to start in goal given Mike Maignan’s injury woes, with Davide Calabria, Pierre Kalulu, Fikayo Tomori and Theo Hernandez making up what was the ‘first choice’ back four from last season.
Sandro Tonali and Ismael Bennacer have been picked as the midfield double pivot with Brahim Diaz ahead of them as the central attacking midfielder over Charles De Ketelaere.
Alexis Saelemaekers will start as the right winger and Rafael Leao will be on the opposite flank, with Olivier Giroud the centre-forward even though he only returned to training a few days ago, given the current injury problems in that department.
Official Milan XI (4-2-3-1): Tatarusanu; Calabria, Kalulu, Tomori, Theo Hernandez; Bennacer, Tonali; Saelemaekers, Diaz, Leao; Giroud.
Bench: Mirante, Nava, Adli, Bakayoko, Dest, Lazetic, Thiaw, Pobega, Vranckx, Gabbia, De Ketelaere, Bozzolan.
Official Salernitana XI (3-5-2): Ochoa, Lovato, Radovanovic, Fazio, Sambia, Coulibaly, Bohinen, Vilhena, Bradaric, Dia, Piatek.
Bench: Fiorelli, De Matteis, Bronn, Daniliuc, Bonazzoli, Botheim, Valencia, Kastanos, Capezzi, Motoc, Iervolino, Pirola.
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